Customer Service Still Sells: How Support Experience Shapes Brand Loyalty

Customer service is often the forgotten pillar of e-commerce. We focus on user journeys, product recommendations and conversion rates - but forget that one poor support experience can undo all of that.

Two recent online purchases reminded me how much customer service still influences trust and retention, often more than the product itself.

Experience 1. The Unexpected Power of Being Helpful

Let’s start with Breeze Shoes and a basic order: one pair of trainers ordered in the wrong size. These things happen.

What impressed me wasn’t the mistake. It was how they resolved it.

• No long form.
• No return requirement upfront.
• No defensive tone.

They simply offered a replacement and asked for a small shipping fee (£7). Their speed and tone made it clear they trusted me and wanted to fix the issue quickly.

That action removed any friction I might feel the next time I buy from them, and it also made me more likely to recommend them.

For context, the average return rate in online fashion is 30-40%. Returns are expected. The brands that win long-term loyalty treat them as part of the journey, not an operational burden.

Experience 2. The Cost of Being Unhelpful

Now, in contrast, a water irrigation company which sells irrigation parts and kits online.

I contacted their advice centre, expecting some basic input on choosing the right system. I got back was… silence, followed by a refusal to help.

They had an advice centre that didn’t want to give advice.

I ordered regardless, they were the best price, and I needed the parts. They had me over a barrel - I needed the parts, and they knew it. Not a great start to the relationship.

Frustratingly, I ordered the wrong sprinkler heads. I had builders on site. The heads couldn’t be adjusted as I had been suggested in a pitiful amount of advice that had been offered.

When I emailed support, the response was dismissive. I was told the order was my responsibility. They offered a return if I paid to post it back within five days.

It didn’t stop there. A later issue with a custom manifold was met with another canned response. They hadn’t even read my message. They simply repeated steps I’d already taken.

No when I'm asked where I got my irrigation system from, do you think I recommend them?

Lessons for Retailers and Leaders

These aren’t just stories. They reflect broader truths for online businesses:

a. Customer service is a core product feature
It isn’t peripheral. It’s part of the user experience. Your support is part of the value you provide, especially in sectors where knowledge gaps exist (gardening, electronics, home improvement). It's better to offer advice with a disclaimer than no advice.

b. Bad service costs more than refunds
The water irrigation experience cost me far more in time and frustration than a missordered product would have. It damaged trust. I won’t order from them again - not because of the product, but because they made resolution harder than it needed to be.

c. Automation isn’t always the answer
There’s a time and place for chatbots, macros, and templates. But when a customer is frustrated, nothing replaces empathy and clarity. Even a one-sentence personalised reply would have changed how I felt.

d. Good service isn’t expensive
Breeze Shoes didn’t write off a product. They simply acted quickly, with trust. Their decision turned a mistake into a loyalty moment.

What We See Across Our Clients at TSD

At TSD, we support retailers and e-commerce platforms building long-term customer relationships. Across the board, we’re seeing a shift:

• Customers expect service to be personal, even if the brand is not.
• Support teams need tools that surface context - not just tickets.
• Automation works best when paired with clear escalation paths.

One of our e-commerce clients recently introduced a lightweight ‘context capture’ feature before customer queries are routed to support agents. It reduced average resolution time by 22% in the first month. Why? Because their agents no longer had to re-ask what had already been said.

These types of changes are impactful but straightforward, and they scale better than building yet another self-help article.

Conclusion: You Win Loyalty in the Moments That Don’t Scale

Anyone can sell a product online. The differentiator is how you respond when something goes wrong.

Breeze Shoes won a returning customer with a single helpful email.

The water irrigation online lost one (likely more) with three bad replies.

Customer service isn’t a cost centre. It’s your brand, made human.

If you’re thinking about where to focus next in your customer experience strategy - don’t just look at journeys and interfaces. Look at your replies. Look at how hard it is for a customer to get a clear answer.

And ask yourself: would I come back if I were them?